


the gold in her eyes

by laneyladybug



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Cute babies, Dad Sokka, Dad Zuko, Dadko, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, No Smut, Parent Zuko (Avatar), Sex is mentioned, Sokka - Freeform, Zuko (Avatar) is a Good Parent, Zuko (Avatar)-centric, Zuko - Freeform, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, cute baby moments, fluff but not physical, implied sex, no actual sex though, sokka and babies, sokka wants a baby, turtle ducks, zuko and babies, zuko is scared
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:48:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25523881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laneyladybug/pseuds/laneyladybug
Summary: When Sokka held his daughter in his arms for the first time he immediately began to cry.“I’m sorry…” he sniffed and wiped his nose on his shoulder at an awkward angle. “She’s just so beautiful, she looks just like you.” He turned his head over his shoulder to look his husband, Zuko, in the eyes, the eyes that him and their daughter shared.
Relationships: Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 303





	the gold in her eyes

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Avatar one shot! I was just thinking about how much I love babies and how cute Zuko and Sokka would be as parents and here we go! This story is rated Teen and Up but there is implied sex as well as the use of "fuck" quite often!
> 
> This is also my first time on here and my first time writing any fanfic related writing since I was probably 17 so bear with me here I just have a lot of quarantine boredom and I am procrastinating my uni work and this is what it turned into! 
> 
> I also don't know how comments work on here so if there are any mistakes or if there is any feedback or anything please comment??? I think that's how it works. Okay bye please read! :)

When Sokka held his daughter in his arms for the first time he immediately began to cry.

“I’m sorry…” he sniffed and wiped his nose on his shoulder at an awkward angle. “She’s just so beautiful, she looks just like you.” He turned his head over his non-snot-covered shoulder to look his husband, Zuko, in the eyes, the eyes that him and his daughter shared.

“Oh, Sokka” Zuko wrapped his arms tighter around his partner’s body, careful not to squish the tiny baby resting in his arms. She was so quiet, soft coos and gurgles coming from her, amber eyes that matched his own staring up into Sokka’s eyes. Zuko had never felt so whole. “She does kind of have to look just like me though, that’s kind of how it works.” He felt Sokka laugh, warmth radiating through where his toned back rested against Zuko’s stomach. Even though Sokka was taller than him now (something Sokka never let him forget) he felt comfortable gently resting his chin on the taller boy’s shoulder to look down and their daughter. _Their daughter._

The conversation about babies had come easy for Sokka, but not so easy for Zuko. It was nearly a year ago when the conversation was brought up a final time. Sokka and Zuko were in their shared chambers, Sokka resting on the mountain of pillows on their bed that he loved so much. Zuko was pacing at the foot of the bed, something he did when he was nervous.

“But, babe,” Sokka pleaded with Zuko to have a child. “I’m _so_ good with kids, remember my army of toddlers?” Zuko knew how bad Sokka wanted to have kids and how bad he wanted to be a dad, but taking that huge step was something that was nearly impossible for Zuko. He was scared, he never wanted to turn into his father, and pushing off having kids made it one step further away from ever happening. The conversation had come up before, Zuko knew Sokka wanted kids, he wasn’t wrong in saying that he was good with them, but Zuko had always managed to change the subject away or make it less serious.

“I’m sorry I can’t give you what you want.” Zuko couldn’t turn to see Sokka’s face, he didn’t want to see the pain in his husband’s eyes. They had been married for only just over a year, but five years after the war had ended Zuko still felt like they were practically children, he was barely twenty-two and Sokka even younger. He was honestly shocked when Sokka asked him to marry him, he really wasn’t expecting it, even after having spent three years as partners, and even more as friends. He sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, facing away from the man he loved so much.

“Zuko—" he could hear the pain in Sokka’s voice, he let his face fall into his hands, he could feel the searing tension in his shoulders.

Almost as if Sokka could sense what was wrong, he shifted across the silk sheets, so he was sitting behind Zuko, tan legs resting gently on either side of his body, arms wrapping around his waist. “You are not you father.” Sokka spoke softly against the back of Zuko’s neck. “You are Zuko, you are kind and gentle and caring and you would be a wonderful father.” Sokka pulled away slightly, allowing his hands to find Zuko’s shoulders, gently massaging some of the tension away. Zuko sighed and pulled his face away from his hands, some black hairs escaping his topknot.

“I’m just—” Zuko started but couldn’t finish.

“I know you’re scared, it’s okay to be scared.” Sokka’s hands were warm and soothing, Zuko found himself leaning back into his touch, still wishing they weren’t having this conversation.

“What if I hurt our baby, Sokka? Even if it’s an accident, you know how I still can’t control it all the time, especially when I get angry.” Zuko tensed again and a feeling of anxiousness and stress welled up within his chest. “I just don’t want to—" He stopped and ran his fingers along the bottom edge of his own scar. He was surprised to feel wetness on his cheek, he didn’t realize he was crying. One of Zuko’s biggest fears, aside from losing Sokka, was hurting his future child. He knew that eventually he would be a father, but that didn’t make the fear any easier to deal with. Zuko was so afraid of being his father that it was holding him back from a life with Sokka.

“I know you get angry, but I also know who you are and know that you would never—”

“But what if I do Sokka!? What if I snap!? What if I do this to our own child!?" Zuko turned around, startling Sokka and gestured to his own face. Sokka could now see that Zuko was crying, even shaking gently.

“Zuko.” Sokka spoke softly again, putting both hands on Zuko’s shaking shoulders, he could feel the heat radiating off them. “If you’re not ready, we can wait.” Zuko’s gaze was locked into Sokka’s and he felt himself slowly starting to calm. Sokka was gently rubbing up and down his arms and whispering softly. How did this boy still love him?

“I’m so sorry, Sokka.” Zuko felt like he had done a lot of apologizing, but none of it would truly ever give Sokka the result he wanted.

“Please baby,” Zuko’s rigid frame softened with Sokka’s voice. “I don’t want to push you, I won’t bring it up until you’re ready, okay?” Zuko knew that Sokka was upset, even if he wasn’t showing it, Zuko made Sokka upset, it was never the other way around and he hated himself for it.

It would be a month later when Zuko was walking out to the gardens, past the kitchen when he heard a pretty unfamiliar sound: a baby crying. He slipped into the kitchen to see one of his kitchen staff, Kuni fussing over a small child while trying to prep food for upcoming lunch.

“Shhh, shhhh, Yuri, please don’t cry, I know, I know.” Kuni turned around and immediately stopped, getting flustered and Zuko could tell even a little afraid. “Oh, Fire Lord Zuko, I’m so sorry, my daughter, my whole family is sick with the flu and I had nowhere else to take her, I’m so sorry, I had—”

“Please don’t apologize, Kuni.” Zuko tried to sound as calm as possible, but the wailing child was making him anxious, was she okay? “And please, just call me, Zuko.” He reminded her, he hated being called “Fire Lord”, except when it worked out in his favour or when Sokka did it to tease him.

“Ah,” the baby had suddenly stopped crying, and peered around her mother from where she sat at the counter. She looked directly at Zuko and giggled, babbling and making sounds that sort of sounded like words.

“Oh,” Kuni looked surprised. “She seems to like you.” Her expression softened as Zuko’s turned to shock.

“What do you mean? How do you know?” He genuinely did not understand how babies worked.

“Well, for starters she took one look at you and stopped crying, I was trying to get her to stop all morning.” Kuni smiled softly at the young man. The baby reached out her tiny arms and her mother picked her up. “Would you like to say ‘hi?’” She spoke to the baby. Zuko noticed the soft tufts of black hair falling around the little-one’s face, her almond eyes were huge and still wet with tears.

“ay,” The baby spoke at Zuko and giggled some more, suddenly holding out her hands towards him.

“Oh,” Kuni was surprised again, “She wants you to hold her.” She didn’t hand the baby over immediately and seemed timid, still uncomfortable around the young Fire Lord.

“Can I?” Zuko spoke softly, barely above a whisper.

“Of course, Fire Lo—” Kuni started, “Zuko” she smiled “Of course you can hold her, Zuko.” She passed the baby over to Zuko, watching in awe as her daughter immediately took to the dark-haired man in front of her.

“What’s her name?” Zuko realized he has never even asked, he looked away from the baby to see Kuni smiling.

“Yuri”

“Hi, Yuri.” Zuko held her gently and she giggled with the sound of her name. Zuko heard a chime in the distance, it was getting close to lunch.

“Oh no! I’ve fallen behind on preparing lunch!” Kuni looked panicked and tried to take Yuri back, which the baby was not happy about. She grasped on to the front of Zuko’s robes.

“No, o, No” she spoke in her soft, but very determined baby voice.

“Kuni, please don’t worry about lunch,” he paused, unsure if what he was about to say was even a good idea. “If you want, I can watch Yuri until the end of your shift, you’re done in an hour, correct?” He felt little fingers playing with the loose hairs that had come out of his topknot.

“My Lord— Zuko,” She paused. “I can’t ask you to do that for me.”

“You aren’t, I’m offering, and I won’t take no for an answer.” Zuko smiled as Yuri giggled some more, showing off her tiny little bottom teeth. Kuni sighed,

“Okay, one hour, thank you Zuko, I’m grateful.” She smiled and kissed her daughter’s head before turning back to the kitchen, Yuri not seeming to mind at all.

“Should we go see the turtle ducks?” Zuko looked into Yuri’s brown eyes and could see his own gold reflecting in them.

“Uck, uck” Yuri attempted to repeat him.

“Ummm,” Zuko really didn’t want Kuni to think he was saying “fuck” in front of her daughter and now she was picking it up,

“uck, uck, uck.” She repeated, giggling more. Zuko was definitely going to have to explain that one when he returned Yuri to her mother.

“See look!” Zuko had Yuri sitting between his legs, her fat baby fingers ripping out the grass in front of her, not really paying attention to the turtle ducks swimming around the pond in front of her. 

“Uck, Uck.” Yuri repeated again and Zuko laughed.

“That’s right, Yuri, a duck, a turtle duck.”

“Er, uck!” She giggled and screeched loudly, surprising Zuko. His body jolted which scared Yuri and she began to cry again.

_Oh fuck, oh no, oh fuck fuck fuck_

Zuko had absolutely no idea what to do. “uhhh, please stop crying” he had seen other mothers pick up their babies and bounce them when they were upset so that’s what he did, gently rocking Yuri in his arms.

“I’m sorry I scared you,” he whispered against her hair once she calmed down. He could see her eyelids drooping and she was clearly fighting the sleepy haze falling over her. Should he put her down? How do babies even sleep? Was he supposed to keep holding her? He decided to keep the little one in his arms, her tiny body felt nice against his anyways, it was comforting to be holding something so small and fragile, yet so full of energy and life.

“Hey, this wasn’t so difficult huh, Yuri?” he knew the baby was drifting off into sleep, but he spoke to her in a soft voice, his back now leaning against the tree next to the pond. “I thought I was so scared of this type of moment, you’re so small, and soft, and delicate, but this isn’t so bad I guess.”

Zuko could hear footsteps approaching behind him, but he continued to talk sweetly and softly to the sleeping baby.

“You’re so cute, I wish my babies are as cute as you one day.” He chuckled softly and the baby stirred against his chest, sighing, but not waking.

“Um, who are you talking to you?” Zuko heard Sokka getting closer, he was sweating from his training this morning and his tan skin was glistening in the sun, his wolf-tail starting to come loose, strands falling around his face. From where he stood, Sokka couldn’t see the baby tucked up against Zuko’s chest, her tiny body resting in his arm, hiding her away from Sokka.

“Shhh” Zuko softly shushed him, bringing a finger to his own lips to tell him to be quiet.

“What are you talk—” Sokka stopped as soon as he got close enough to see the sleeping baby in Zuko’s arms. “Um,” he paused, looking very, _very_ confused. “Who is that?”

“Yuri” Zuko smiled, looking up at Sokka, internally laughing at his surprised (and slightly concerned) face.

“And where did Yuri come from?” Sokka sat down next to Zuko, pretty sure his husband has officially lost his mind and kidnapped a baby.

“Kuni from the kitchen, her family is sick and she had nobody to watch her, so I offered to take her because she seemed to like me.” Zuko shrugged and played softly with the tiny tufts of Yuri’s hair, pushing it away from her face. Sokka watched Zuko do this, he saw how gentle he was being and something stirred within his chest. Before he had the chance to say anything, Yuri woke up just as quickly as she had fallen asleep.

“Uck, uck uck!” She giggled and yanked at Zuko’s robes, her tiny fists curling around the fabric.

“She means ‘duck’!” Zuko looked to Sokka before he even had a chance to ask if he had sworn in front of the baby.

“Zuko?” Sokka looked at him with a look that Zuko had seen more than enough to know what he was thinking.

“Uko, Uko, Uko!” Yuri yelled.

“Hey! That’s me! She said my name!” Zuko was so excited that his new little friend had said his name, even if she was missing the first letter.

“Zuko I—” Before Sokka could continue Yuri began whimpering.

“mama,” she sniffled and Zuko could see tears welling up in her eyes, tiny fists rubbing at them. He could hear the chimes once again, meaning an hour has passed and it was time to take Yuri back to her mother.

“Yeah?” Zuko spoke softly and he held Yuri in his arms, standing up and switching her to his one hip, while reaching down to help Sokka up with his other arm. “You want to go see your mama?” he cooed at the little one, still rubbing at her teary eyes. “C’mon, lets go.” Zuko headed back towards the kitchens, Sokka silently in tow.

“There she is!” Zuko gently bounced Yuri as he saw Kuni approaching. “There’s Mama.” He gently handed Yuri back over to Kuni, who immediately pulled her daughter in for a tight hug and a kiss on top of her head.

“Mama, Uko, uck, uck uck.” Kuni laughed and Zuko turned red.

“She’s saying ‘duck’, I took her to see the turtle duck pond.” He was suddenly feeling embarrassed and shy.

“Thank you, it looks like she even picked up your name.” Kuni spoke warmly and Zuko felt his embarrassment slipping away.

“Uko, bye, bye.” Yuri looked at Zuko and waved, her voice sounding more like a question.

“Yeah, say by to, Zuko.” Kuni smiled as Zuko did a little wave back to Yuri. The two started to walk away, Yuri babbling on about “uko” and “ucks”.

“Wait, Kuni!” She swiftly turned around; the wrath of the previous Fire Lord still engrained in her. When she saw Zuko’s smile however, she softened. “Yuri is welcome back any time, I would be happy to look after her whenever you need.” He smiled and she knew that he was genuine.

“Thank you Zuko,” she paused, looking behind him at Sokka, “you’re going to make a wonderful father one day.” And with that she turned and walked away from the palace. Zuko was shocked at her words. She thought that he would make a good dad?

“I told you, Zuko.” Sokka spoke softly and took his hand, leading him back to their shared chambers.

They walked back silently, but not uncomfortably. Once inside, Zuko shed his outer layer and laid down on the bed, all the stress he had felt that morning had dissipated and he even felt a little sad that Yuri had to go home.

“Babe?” Sokka sat down on the edge of the bed next to Zuko, his leg resting against Zuko’s body.

“Mhm?”

“Seeing you with that baby— I” He stopped, seemingly unsure of what to say. Zuko perked up and made eye contact with his beautiful Water Tribe boy. “Fuck, it made me want to just come back here and be with you.”

“Be with me?” Zuko raised an eyebrow. “You mean seeing me hold a baby made you want to fuck me?” Zuko couldn’t help but laugh as Sokka’s cheeks tinted pink.

“It’s just, I imagined you, and us, being together, like that you know,” he paused, smiling softly, “just seeing how gentle you were, how good you were with Yuri, it just made me want to come back here and put a baby in you myself.” Sokka laughed and snuggled into Zuko.

“Babe, you know we can’t—”

“I know, Zuko, I know how our body parts work!” He laughed and gently shoved the pale boy’s shoulder.

“You can’t put a baby in me, but I think maybe we could get one.” Zuko spoke softly, and a little unsure of himself.

“Zuko.” Sokka sat up from his place beside him. “You don’t mean that do you?” His bright blue eyes were glistening, wide and looking directly into Zuko’s.

“I really do, I’ve been thinking a lot about us, about our future.” Zuko sighed, not an unhappy sigh, “I just know how bad you want to be a dad and I think I want that too.” He smiled and watched a tear gently trickle down Sokka’s cheek. “Oh, baby, no. Don’t cry, I love you so much.” Zuko pulled Sokka into him, taking in the way he smelled like sunshine, and a little like sweat, but that’s the way he liked it.

“I’ve wanted this for so long, Zuko.” Sokka whispered into his shoulder, hands coming up to take Zuko’s hair out, letting the long, dark strands fall around his face.

That night, if Sokka could’ve “put a baby in Zuko” as he so crudely put it, Zuko would’ve definitely been pregnant.

“Okay, so how are we exactly supposed to do this?” Zuko was standing in their shared bathroom with Sokka, a tiny jar, now having been filled with a certain bodily liquid held in his hand.

“Well I think we just give it to her and then… y’know” Sokka shrugged, definitely uncomfortable with the entire surrogate situation.

“uh, okay, yeah.” Zuko’s face was one hundred percent as red as his fire nation robes at this point. Sokka had failed to mention that he wanted Zuko to be the “sperm dad” as he put it and then next time it was his turn. “This is so awkward.” Zuko laughed to break the tension, he just had to think about what was coming from this, they were going to have a baby, their own child. It was exactly what he wanted.

And that was exactly where they ended up, nine months later, Sokka crying tears of joy and Zuko watching the eyes of his daughter, his eyes, and she stared up at Sokka. She was so beautiful.

“Hi” Sokka whispered and Zuko’s heart fluttered, “Hi, Sumiko.” Zuko loved the name that Sokka had picked out for their daughter. It was beautiful, it meant “child of goodness” according to Sokka, which he said clearly fit since she was coming from Zuko.

“I love you both so much.” Zuko spoke, and Sumiko looked up into his eyes, gold meeting gold.

“I love you too.” Sokka spoke back, turning to meet Zuko’s eyes, the same eyes that their daughter had. Zuko looked at Sokka, noticing how beautiful he looked, even when he was exhausted and crying and Zuko couldn’t wait until they had another baby, this time with Sokka’s blue eyes. For now though, they were a family, Zuko finally had a family of his own, he had a baby with Sokka, and he couldn’t wait to spend all of his time with his daughter, out by the turtle duck pond, brushing her soft hair away from her face as she slept against him. Zuko finally felt whole.


End file.
